1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multimedia messaging service, and more particularly to a method and an apparatus for reminding a user about the reception of multimedia messages according to settings of the user and extending the storage time of the multimedia message.
2. Description of the Related Art
Messaging services in mobile communication systems of the day provide not only small capacity texts, but also multimedia messages including much richer contents such as mass capacity text, audio, images, videos and so forth. An example of the messaging services for providing messages including such contents is a Multimedia Messaging Service (hereinafter referred to as “MMS”), which is being evolving into a service capable of improving users' conveniences and satisfactions.
A multimedia messaging system generally includes a plurality of mobile stations (hereinafter referred to as “MS”), and at least one MMS relay/server and a plurality of Multimedia Message Boxes (hereinafter referred to as “MM box”) connected to the respective MMS relay/servers. A transaction process for transmitting/receiving common multimedia messages in the multimedia messaging system is shown in FIG. 1. In particular, FIG. 1 illustrates message flows at transmission of a common multimedia message.
In step 201, a first MS 1 requests a first MMS relay/server 5 to transmit a specific multimedia message to a second MS 3 by including the specific multimedia message in an MM1_submit.REQ message and transmitting the MM1_submit.REQ message to the first MMS relay/server 5. In step 203, the first relay/server 5 notifies the first MS 1 of accepting to transmit the multimedia message by sending back an MM1_submit.RES message in response to the MM1_submit.REQ message, and proceeds to step 205. In step 205, the first MMS relay/server 5 forwards an MM4_forward.REQ message including the specific multimedia message to a second MMS relay/server 7, to which the second MS 3 is connected, to request the second MMS relay/server 7 to transmit the multimedia message to the second MS 3. In response to this, in step 207, the second MMS relay/server 7 sends back a response, that is, an MM4_forward.RES message to the first MMS relay/server 5. In step 209, the second MMS relay/server 7 notifies the second MS 3 through an MM1_notification.REQ message that a message to be received by the second MS 3 has arrived. Here, a time, during which the corresponding multimedia message is stored in the second MMS relay/server 7, is provided in the MM1_notification.REQ message. This storage time may be set by the first MS 1 or a service provider. In step 211, the second MS 3 sends back a response, that is, an MM1_notification.RES message to the second MMS relay/server 7 to confirm the reception of the notification. In step 213, the second MS 3 asks the second MMS relay/server 7 to retrieve the corresponding multimedia message by transmitting an MM1_retlieve.REQ message. In step 215, the second MMS relay/server 7 transmits the multimedia message required through the MM1_retrieve.RES message. In step 217, the second MS 3 having received the multimedia message sends an acknowledgement, that is, an MM1_acknowledgement.REQ message, to the second MMS relay/server 7.
Also, it is possible for a user of the second MS 3 to store multimedia messages in an MM box. That is, following step 211 in FIG. 1, the second MS 3 asks the second MMS relay/server 7 to store any multimedia message, currently, stored in a temporary storage location of the second MMS relay/server 7 or to be received, in the MM box through an MM1_mmbox_store.REQ message. The second MMS relay/server 7 stores the corresponding multimedia message in the MM box and responds back an MM1_mmbox_store.RES message with a reference to the stored multimedia message to the second MS 3. When this function is invoked for a multimedia message already stored in the MM box, it is used to update some parameters of the multimedia message.
Any multimedia message can be uploaded and stored in the MM box through an MM1_mmbox_upload.REQ message. For example, the first MS 1 asks the first MMS relay/server 5 to store a multimedia message to be uploaded in the MM box by transmitting the MM1_mmbox_upload.REQ message including the multimedia message. The first MMS relay/server 5 stores the multimedia message in the MM box and responds back an MM1_mmbox_upload.RES message with a reference to the stored message to the first MS 1.
Also, a user of an MS can view multimedia messages stored in an MM box through an MM1_mmbox_view.REQ message. For example, the first MS 1 asks the first MMS relay/server 5 a listing of all or part of multimedia messages currently stored in an MM box, as well as information about the Multimedia messages themselves through the MM1_mmbox_view.REQ message. The first MMS relay/server 5 transmits an MM1_mmbox_view.RES message with a listing of the multimedia messages and their associated features to the first MS 1.
The multimedia messages stored in the MM box in a manner as stated above can be deleted through an MM1_mmbox_delete.REQ message. The first MS 1 asks the first MMS relay/server 5 to delete one or more multimedia messages currently stored in the MM box through the MM1_mmbox_delete.REQ message. The first relay/server 5 deletes the corresponding multimedia messages and transmits an MM1_mmbox_delete.RES to the first MS 1.
Multimedia messages managed as in this way are stored in a temporary storage location or an MM box only for a specific time period. That is, multimedia messages are deleted once expiry times set for the respective multimedia message are reached, regardless of whether the messages have been received by a recipient user. Therefore, multimedia messages can be deleted by an MMS relay/server without the recipient user being aware of the corresponding multimedia messages, e.g. in the case where he forgot about the existence of the messages in the MMS relay/server. On this account, there is an inconvenience in that the recipient user is forced to remember about every messages stored in the MMS relay/serve or in the MM box. However, the recipient user cannot remember all of the multimedia messages when the number of the messages is very large. Also, even if the user is aware that the message is going to be deleted, he/she may not be able to retrieve it before the expiry time because a sufficient disk space is not available in his/her MS, or he/she is located in a non-coverage area. In addition, he/she may hesitate the retrieval of the multimedia message because an expensive charge is paid for the retrieval when he/she is located in a roaming area. Especially if the multimedia message was stored in the MM box, the user may want to keep it longer there because he finds the content important.
For an MMS service provider, if retrievals of multimedia messages are financially charged, the fact that a user is unable to retrieve a multimedia message because the multimedia message was deleted due to its expiration represents a revenue loss. If the service provider provided a service in which the user can extend the expiry time associated with the multimedia message, this represents a source for increasing the revenue of service providers.